By Gloria Ogbonna

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) has ordered the mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard as anti-ICE protests continue to grow across the state, according to multiple reports.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in the Twin Cities following two recent shootings involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials that have sparked public outrage and demonstrations.

In a statement posted on X, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety confirmed the governor’s directive, saying, “At Gov. Walz’s direction, the Minnesota National Guard have been mobilized and are staging to support local law enforcement and emergency management agencies.”

At Gov. Walz’s direction, the Minnesota National Guard have been mobilized and are staging to support local law enforcement and emergency management agencies. pic.twitter.com/9b0UpYyKkX
— Minnesota Department of Public Safety (@MnDPS_DPS) January 17, 2026

The announcement emphasized that the Guard’s role is intended to provide assistance rather than to assume control of law enforcement duties.

Speaking to CNN, Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Army Maj. Andrea Tsuchiya clarified that Guard members have not been deployed to city streets at this time. Instead, she explained, they are being staged and prepared to assist if necessary.

Tsuchiya noted that the Guard’s mission would focus on providing traffic support and other logistical help “to protect life, preserve property, and support the rights of all Minnesotans to assemble peacefully.”

According to CNN, officials in both St. Paul and Minneapolis are bracing for additional protests as public anger continues to build following the fatal shooting of Renee Good earlier this month. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed while sitting in her car during an encounter with ICE agents.

Demonstrations intensified in the days following her death, drawing large crowds and prompting concerns about public safety and potential unrest.

Tensions flared again this week after a second incident involving ICE. The Department of Homeland Security reported that an ICE agent shot and injured a Venezuelan man who was accused of “violently” resisting arrest during a separate operation. That shooting further fueled protests and renewed criticism of ICE’s enforcement tactics in the region.

Breitbart News reporter AWR Hawkins previously reported that on January 7, Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent who alleged that she had “weaponized her vehicle” against officers.

At the time, the Department of Homeland Security stated in a social media post that Good attempted “to run over” ICE agents who were conducting what DHS described as targeted operations in Minneapolis.

The Hill later reported that protests escalated roughly a week after Good’s death, following another confrontation in which a federal officer shot and injured a Venezuelan migrant.

Source: Breitbart

Original article
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